A Second Chance
by HockeyGirl35
Summary: OOC, gonna warn you now! Not intended as slash. Something I was playing around with and figured I may as well post. Oneshot.


Miles had just walked into the house he was currently sharing with Rachel, Charlie, and Aaron, intent on heading to his room and taking a nap. He'd been out training the town's small militia and he'd been awake for over 24 hours. Unfortunately, he figured his rest would have to wait when Rachel frantically ran up to him.

"Miles, you have to get Charlie!" she told him.

Miles sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Why? What has she done this time?" Rachel's next words jolted him from his thoughts of sleep.

"She went to kill Monroe!"

Miles stared at her, "_What?_" Monroe was...they didn't even know where the guy went after Neville took over the Republic. Miles had never told anyone about his meeting with Bass at the Tower. "Where is he?" Miles asked her.

"Charlie found him in some sort of...traveling caravan. I don't know. Apparently, Monroe is at the library," Rachel replied.

Miles ran back out of the house and down the street, pushing every muscle to the limit, hoping to get there before anything happened between his niece and the man he called his brother. He had the vague thought that the library was a strange place for Monroe to be. Aside from the fact that the man wasn't what you would call bookish, the library wasn't even in use anymore. It was almost empty with the exception of a couple couches and chairs, and some shelves shoved against the walls.

Reaching the library, Miles shoved the door open and ran into the room to see Bass standing at the far end with his hands raised and Charlie near the front with her crossbow aimed at Monroe's chest. In that split-second three things happened: Miles shouted at Charlie, Bass made eye contact with Miles...and Charlie fired the bow. Time seemed to slow as the arrow left the weapon and lodged in Bass's left shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Miles sprinted to where Bass had fallen, dropping to his knees beside the man.

Bass looked up at him, pain evident in his eyes and teeth clenched as he grabbed at his shoulder and the arrow.

Miles grabbed Bass's hands, trying to stop him from doing further damage to the wound, "It's alright, I got you. You're okay..." He felt Bass latch onto his hands, and squeezed gently, hoping he could calm his friend down. He looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Charlie standing in front of them, glaring down at Monroe with cold eyes, fully loaded bow in her hands. Miles correctly assumed what she was thinking and tried to talk her down, "Charlie, listen to me. Put the bow down. Put it down."

Instead, Charlie leveled the bow at Monroe's head as she spat, "He killed Danny, Miles! He killed my brother and my father, why should he get to live?"

Miles felt Bass shudder beneath his hands and he could tell his friend was losing his strength along with the blood pooling beside them. Still on his knees, Miles maneuvered so his body was partially blocking Bass, leaving the bow centered on himself. "Charlie, what happened to Ben and Danny is as much my fault as anyone's! Probably more! I trained the Militia, I taught them how to be ruthless, how to kill without a second thought."

Charlie shook her head, "But you changed! You helped me find Danny and...afterward you saved my life."

Miles risked breaking eye contact with Charlie to glance down at Bass. His friend...no, his brother was pale, eyes closed and, while he was still holding onto Mile's hand, his grip was weaker.

Bass felt Miles squeeze his hand again and forced his eyes open, seeing the concerned gaze of the man he still considered his brother. He tried to smile but judging from the frown that crossed Miles' face, he didn't quite pull it off.

Charlie was getting angry that her uncle was protecting the man that destroyed their family. "Get out of the way, Miles," she warned, taking a firmer grip on the bow.

Bass heard the venom in Charlies voice and knew he had to protect Miles before he lost the family he had left. "Miles," he said softly. Miles stared at him, an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. "I deserve this." Bass noticed it was getting harder to speak and felt fear run through him. He knew he deserved to die but that didn't mean he wanted to.

Miles shook his head, "No." He looked up at Charlie, anger now showing in his own face, "No, Charlie! Bass isn't the same, either! He saved you, didn't he? He's saved my life and your mom's life several times now." Miles didn't know how bringing up Danny would go but he had to try, "Your brother was never the target, Charlie. I was and you guys just got dragged into the mess." He heard Bass groan right before Charlie answered.

Charlie looked at him incredulously, "So he was trying to kill you and we were collateral damage. How is that any better?"

At the slight movement beside him, Miles glanced down again.

"Knew...she was g-gonna say that," Bass whispered to him with the faint trace of a smile, obviously having to exert quite a bit of energy to get the words out.

Miles softly smiled at him. "Yeah, I should've thought that one through a little more," he answered quietly. He knew Bass didn't have much more time, Miles needed to get him moved and patched up now. He turned his attention back to Charlie, "You keep saying you lost your brother. Well, guess what? So did I. Ben and I may have been different but I still loved him. But Bass is also my brother and if I can't help him right now, I'm going to lose him, too. Only it will be by your hand this time." He paused to see Charlie's reaction and was hopeful when she looked a lot less certain that she did a moment ago. He continued in a voice that held more confidence than what he felt, "Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna put the bow down and I'm gonna move Bass somewhere safe."

Miles punctuated this by rising into a crouch, still holding onto Bass and ready to jump in front of him if need be. Much to his relief, Charlie sighed and lowered the bow, turning and stalking out of the room. Once she was gone, Miles acted. With a quick, "Sorry," he hauled Bass to his feet, ignoring the grunt of pain from his friend, and slung an arm around him, helping him to walk to the door. He could feel Bass getting heavier as they walked out of the building and through the town, and by the time they reached Miles' room, Bass was barely conscious at all, his head hanging limply against Miles' shoulder. Miles gently put him on the bed before shutting the door to his bedroom and locking it just in case Charlie decided to try another assassination.

Grabbing the first-aid kit he kept in his dresser, Miles pulled a chair to the side of the bed and, using the medical knowledge he picked up in the Marines, began the work of helping Bass. He couldn't pull the arrow out; he had to snap off the tail end and then slide the arrow straight through his body. He tried to ignore the yell of pain that was wrenched from Bass but he couldn't help but flinch. After that, he did what he could to clean the wound and wrapped it up, thankful when no blood seeped through the bandage.

Finally looking from the wound to Bass's face, Miles noticed his friend had fallen asleep. He had to admit, Bass didn't look too good. He was still pale and his breathing was shallow. Miles assumed that because Bass was still alive, the arrow must have miraculously missed the vital organs. Laying a hand against Bass's forehead, Miles could feel the sweat on his face. Miles pulled his hand back and sank into his chair, letting out a shaky breath. Somehow they had gone from being best friends to mortal enemies to something in between. All Miles knew was that when he had seen Charlie shoot Bass, that was the most fear he's ever felt. Sitting there, staring at his unconscious friend, Miles realized this was their second chance. He decided that right then that no matter what it took, he would get them back to the way they used to be. With that thought in mind, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

It was several hours later before Bass began to wake up. He felt like he had absolutely no energy to do so though. After a couple agonizing minutes, he forced his eyes open, half-expecting to be alone in a cell somewhere. He was surprised to see instead a nicely, if sparsely, furnished room. His brain finally began to catch up and he could feel the softness of the bed beneath him and the warmth from the quilt that was spread across him.

Letting his head slip to the side, he finally saw Miles asleep beside him, head resting in his arms as he leaned forward to use the edge of the bed as his pillow, looking like he's the one that had just been shot. Bass frowned a little at the dark circles under his friend's eyes and the blood covering his hands, wondering just how bad off he'd been if Miles already looked like that. He was also wondering how this meeting was gonna go. Last time they saw each other, Miles saved his life but also forced him to run. Were they friends again?...Was Bass some sort of hostage? Only one way to find out. Mustering up all his strength, Bass moved his hand from the bed to rest on Miles shoulder.

Miles shifted a little at the contact and lifted his head, surprised to see Bass's blue eyes looking tiredly back at him. "You're awake!" he exclaimed, unable to keep the small smile from his face.

Bass rolled his eyes, "No shit, Sherlock." But he couldn't keep from smiling either.

Miles let out a small chuckle before becoming serious again, "I didn't know if you'd wake up...your breathing was bad and the bleeding..." he trailed off, looking away for a moment as he tried to dispel the unpleasant images from his mind.

Bass squeezed his shoulder, "Hey, I'm fine, thanks to you." He waited for Miles to make eye contact again before asking the question that scared him more than anything, "But why did you do that?"

Miles was confused, "Why'd I do what?"

Bass pulled his hand back and started to sit up, smacking Miles' hands away when he tried to help. When he was finally in a sitting position on the side of the bed, he asked "Why did you save me? I didn't deserve that, Miles. I know that."

Miles sighed, "Buddy, neither of us probably deserve it. We're both responsible for what's happened. But I couldn't let you die."

Bass looked at him in surprise, about to reply but Miles waved his hand,

"You remember what I told you back in the tent?" Miles asked.

Bass thought he knew what Miles was talking about but couldn't bare the disappointment if he were wrong, so he stayed silent.

Miles sighed, understanding what was going through his friend's mind. He reached over to grab Bass's hand as he said firmly, "We're still brothers. That's never gonna change."

Bass stared at him for a moment, not believing this was real, that he was finally getting the only family he had left back. "But you don't want me around, right? I mean, you said you hated that we were brothers, that's why you set the guards after me..." he replied uncertainly.

Miles shook his head, "I didn't mean I hated _you_, I meant that I hated that I still cared so much about you. That killed me because I...I missed you so much, Pal. But I couldn't have you around my family, Bass." Realizing how that sounded, he quickly corrected himself, "I mean, they would have killed you. Hell, Charlie almost killed you today, months after what's happened."

Bass nodded his head in consent, finally allowing a small smile to break through, "She's a hell of a lot like her mom."

Miles smirked at him, "So...hug it out?"

Bass laughed. "Hug it out," he affirmed. He embraced Miles carefully so he wouldn't harm his shoulder wound even more, not wanting to let go. For once, he felt like everything was going to be okay again.

Miles hugged him back, thinking about how far they'd come since the Blackout happened, everything they'd gone through together and apart. He closed his eyes, pulling Bass a little closer. He didn't know how he was going to make this work with Charlie and Rachel but he was never going to lose his brother again, he would make damn sure of that.

After a few moments they pulled away. Miles took a good look at his friend and asked, "Probably should've started with this but, how you feeling?"

Bass chuckled, "Like I've been shot." Seeing the concern reappearing on Miles face, he quickly added, "Seriously, I'm fine. It's a flesh wound." Partially to change the subject and partially because he was honestly curious, Bass glanced around the room before asking, "Where am I, anyway?"

Miles rolled his eyes at Bass's attempt brush off the seriousness of his wound but went along with it, "My room in the house I'm currently sharing with Rachel, Charlie, and a friend of theirs, guy named Aaron."

Bass's eyes widened at the first two names, "Uh, they were okay with this?" A weary look cast at the door and realization dawned on him as he saw the deadbolt engaged. "They're not okay with this..." he stated.

Miles felt a smile tug at his lips, "No, Pal. They're not. Or...they wouldn't be if they knew you were here."

Bass just stared at him incredulously, "How the hell did we get here without them realizing it? What about when they find out? It's not like they're not gonna notice their _enemy _living in the same house!"

Miles laughed softly and held up his hands in a calming gesture, "Would you relax? I brought you in through the backdoor, they never even realized I was home. We'll figure this out. Everything is gonna be fine."

"Since when have any of our plans turned out _fine_, Miles?" Bass scoffed.

As if to prove his point, a knock sounded on Miles' door. The two men froze, staring at each other. The knock sounded again and Rachel's voice came through, "Miles, I know you're in there!"

"You had to go and tempt fate, huh?" Miles muttered to Bass. Heaving a sigh, he stood up and walked to the door, cautiously opening it a little ways.

"Miles, what are you doing? I didn't even realize you were back until I heard your voice," Rachel said. Straight to the point, as always.

Miles gave a short laugh, "Uh, relaxing in my room. Why, what are you doing?"

Rachel frowned at him, clearly not buying his nonchalant act, "What happened with Monroe and Charlie? She came back very briefly to grab her backpack and then just left without a word. And who were you talking to?"

Miles hesitated and Rachel shoved his shoulder, knocking him just enough off balance to catch a glimpse into his room. She was about to make a sarcastic remark when she caught sight of who was still seated on his bed. She gasped and Miles took a step forward, grabbing her shoulder.

"It's okay, Rachel. He's not gonna hurt us," he tried to placate her.

Rachel looked at him like he'd gone insane, "Miles-! He tried to kill you! He killed Ben and Danny!" She couldn't understand what was going on.

Miles shook his head, "Rachel, he's different! You and Charlie seem to be focused on the two events that Bass wasn't even present for, things Neville and the Militia did; what about the times he's personally saved you two?"

Rachel was livid by this point, glaring daggers at Monroe as she stated "I want him either dead or out of this house-out of this _town_ right now!"

Miles glared at her, "Not gonna happen."

Rachel looked taken aback, "_What?_"

Miles tried to get her to understand, "Bass is my brother, Rachel. I'm not leaving him again."

Bass had been eavesdropping while keeping a cautious eye on Rachel but he couldn't help but smile in relief at Miles' words. He had already been thinking about where he was gonna go when Rachel demanded he leave and despite their talk, he hadn't really expected Miles to jump to his defense.

Rachel stepped back as she said accusingly, "Ben was your brother, Miles. You know, your _blood-related_ family. Not just some...some _orphan_ you felt sorry for."

Bass flinched at Rachel's words, all the abandonment issues he tried so hard to get rid of after his family died rushing back.

Miles eyes went dark with anger, "Bass has always been more my brother than Ben. I loved Ben, but blood doesn't make you family. Loyalty does. And where were you guys before the blackout, huh? I saw Charlie _once_ when Ben forced you to come to my graduation from MCRD. I never even met Danny!" He paused for a moment but continued in a quieter voice before Rachel could reply, "Bass has been with me...forever. We've been through things you couldn't imagine. So if you can't learn to live with this, we're gonna have to part ways."

Rachel's mouth dropped open but instead of answering, she just huffed and spun around, walking back down the hallway. Miles leaned against the door frame for a moment, watching her leave. With a sigh, he shut the door again and turned around, walking back toward Bass. He stopped short when Bass looked up at him, blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

"Miles...I can't do this," Bass spoke quietly.

Miles tilted his head, "Can't do what?"

"I shouldn't be here. And if I stay...you're going to lose her and Charlie," he paused to take in Miles' reaction but for once he couldn't tell what his best friend was thinking. He went on, "Remember when we ran into each other in the field? Right before the chopper found us?" At Miles' answering nod, Bass said, "I told you that everything I've done has been for you. I wasn't lying, Miles. I love you, bro...which is why I can't..._won't_ stay here and watch you lose the family you have left." He bowed his head, clenching his fists as he tried not to break down at the thought of leaving his brother _again, _and for good this time.

Miles felt something painful wrap around his heart at Bass's words. He honestly believed that Miles would rather he leave then have to deal with Rachel and Charlie's anger. Miles stepped to the side of the bed and sat down next to Bass. "C'mere," he said quietly, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. "You obviously heard what Rachel said," he stated drily.

Bass didn't look at him, "Yeah...and she's right."

Miles felt the anger at Rachel boil up again but forced himself to stay relaxed as he replied, "Then you also heard what I said."

Bass pushed himself away from Miles, "Yeah, but you don't have to do that for me!"

Miles let him move away but kept his hand on his shoulder, "What makes you think it's for you?"

That made Bass falter, "I...what? What're you talking about?"

Miles looked at him, "I can't deal with losing you again. It was hard enough the first time and the second time nearly killed me. We've been brothers forever. Whatever I go through with Rachel and Charlie won't be nearly as bad as losing you permanently." He stopped talking as a thought occurred to him. "But I guess the question is, are you up for it?" he asked, "Those two aren't going to go easy on you."

Bass didn't even need to think about it, "Absolutely. Long as you keep them from killing me, I can handle everything else."

Miles chuckled, "Deal." He remembered his first question, "What the hell were you doing in the library, of all places?"

"I heard it was pretty much abandoned, needed a place to get away from everyone," Bass replied.

Which led Miles to the next question, "And who is everyone, exactly?"

Bass paused, considering how to answer that, "I...don't really know. I guess it's sort of a traveling carnival." He laughed drily, "They have no idea who I am. Found me wandering in the woods. Couple of the guys tried to mug me. Can you believe that? I've gone from being President of a country to being mugged by carnies." He dropped his head, a somewhat hysterical laugh escaping his lips. Miles just pulled him closer and waited for him to continue the story. After a moment, Bass went on, "After I...neutralized the first couple guys, I tried to get the hell out of Dodge. Kinda figured the rest would be pissed, y'know? But this guy finds me, tells me he's impressed by my "act" and wants to know my name. I said the first thing that came to mind, Jimmy King."

Miles laughed and Bass elbowed him in the ribs. "Sorry, but...all the names you could've chosen and you pick a Denver Nugget?"

Bass couldn't help but laugh a little, too, "Hey, you were the one that always talked us out of trouble, remember? I'm not good at it." Continuing on with the story, he said, "Long story short, I joined up with them. Tommy, the guy that found me, sets up fights for me and takes bets. I fight whoever he puts in front of me and we split the winnings." He paused and then said, "I swear, I had no idea you were here."

Miles shrugged, "I believe you. But I'm glad you showed up, although you could've done it a little more conventionally."

Bass grinned at him, "I thought this way was pretty creative..."

* * *

It had been about a week since Miles had brought Bass back to the house. A very tense week. Rachel and Charlie were not speaking to Miles, Miles was busy making sure Bass's wound healed properly and without infection, and Aaron was gone most of them time, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a family feud.

Miles had gone out of town for the day to grab some supplies from an outpost down the road. It was about a day's walk round trip but Miles didn't mind too much. Normally they could get what they needed from the store in their town but unfortunately bandits had been making supply drops difficult and the store was almost empty. Rachel had come to him, finally, to ask if he would make the trip for them because she was worried about Charlie going and getting herself killed. Secretly happy that Rachel had apparently come around and forgiven him, Miles had sighed and agreed. He considered bringing Bass along but Miles knew he wouldn't be able to make the trip even if the threat of running into bandits wasn't so great.

Not wanting to wake Bass from the first bit of restful sleep he was getting, Miles wrote Bass a note and taped it to the bathroom mirror before quietly leaving the house that morning. The sun was just going down by the time Miles arrived back at the house with the supplies. The trip honestly wasn't terrible; it was nice to get out of town for awhile and he'd only met up with a few bandits, all dealt with quickly. He walked in but didn't see any of his family in the living room or kitchen. Shrugging, he dropped off the supplies and headed down the hall to (what he now considered) his and Bass's bedroom. He opened the door, "Hey buddy, I-..." he stopped when he got a look of the empty bedroom. Frowning, he quickly turned and walked to the bathroom but it was also empty. Feeling worry start gnawing at him, he rushed to the room Rachel and Charlie shared. Empty. Now Miles had a pretty good idea what happened but he didn't want to believe it. Hearing a noise behind him, he spun around to see Aaron walking out of his bedroom.

"Hey!" Miles shouted to get his attention. When Aaron jumped and looked at him, Miles strode up and asked, "Where did they go, Aaron?"

Aaron glanced around, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Miles grabbed him by the front of the shirt and slammed him back into the wall, "Don't screw with me! Where the hell did they take Bass!"

Aaron grunted in pain and held up his hands at the dangerous tone of Miles' voice, "Okay! They didn't tell me anything but I heard something about a...a cellar!"

Miles shoved him into the wall again, "When, Aaron? When did they leave?"

"Right after you left!" Miles looked at him in disbelief and let him go, shaking his head. He couldn't believe they did this to him. After everything he's done for them, been through for them. He sprinted out of the house again but stopped at the road, not really sure where to go.

Aaron watched him leave, wishing he could be of more help. He couldn't find it in him to be mad at Miles because he knew how much Bass meant to the man. Being the only objective one in the house, Aaron had been the only one to notice the change that had come over Miles since getting Bass back. He smiled without it being forced or sarcastic. He laughed, which is something Aaron had never imagined would happen. Aaron sighed as he walked back into his room, hoping for all their sakes Miles got to Monroe before he was killed.

Miles thought hard about what little info Aaron had told him. A cellar. That's all he had to go on. He was about to start kicking in doors when something popped into his head, a conversation he'd had with James, the weapons dealer and member of the town's security force. They had been talking about where to put people if the bandits or Militia ever broke through the walls and James had mentioned the Armory would be a safe place because it had hidden rooms below it. Miles had agreed and they'd been working on outfitting it with food and survival gear. Miles had no idea how Rachel or Charlie would know that but it was his best shot so he took off running again, ignoring the concerned looks he got from the few townspeople still out on the streets.

Miles finally reached the front door of the Armory in time to see James walking out. Miles felt doubt overtake him again but asked anyway,"Was Rachel here? Or Charlie?"

James eyed him with confusion, "Yeah, both. What's wrong?"

Miles shook his head and asked impatiently, "Where'd they go? Was there a guy with them?"

James looked surprised, "They're still in there, all three. You didn't think they'd be done with those improvements already, did you?"

Now it was Miles' turn to be confused, "Improvements?"

James nodded emphatically, speaking slowly as if Miles were stupid, "The stuff you sent them to do to the safe room? I told them that since it would take a couple days at least, they could have the extra key to the shop until it was done. Figured it would be easier for them to work after closing hours anyway." As an afterthought, he added, "With their help, it should be functional in the next few weeks..."

Miles just stared at him for a second before he shook his head, "Um, right. I needed to...let them know there's a small change. Yeah, I wrote it down wrong and I need to fix it so would you mind unlocking the door?"

"Oh, sure. Just lock it up when you leave, yeah?" James turned and unlocked the door. With a quick wave at Miles, he hurried off down the street.

Miles quietly went in and looked around. Not seeing anything he went behind the counter and into the small back room that held the door leading below. It was closed and Miles was slow to open it, reducing the noise as much as possible. He made his way down the stairs, closing and locking the door above him, and waited at the bottom, listening and letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. He could hear muffled voices down the hall. Though him and James referred to this place as a safe room, it was actually much larger than that. From the entry there was a hallway with numerous small storerooms attached and at the end it opened into the last large room. Overall, it was as big, if not bigger, than the actual Armory above. Recalling all the stealth training he'd gotten from the Marines, Miles went down the hall. He turned the corner and saw Rachel standing at the door of the farthest store room. Striding up, he grabbed her shoulder before she noticed him there, "Rachel, what the hell is going on?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, "Miles, how did-"

A voice from the other side of the door interrupted her, "Alright, mom. Unlock the door."

Rachel was still staring at Miles but after a moment she hesitantly pulled out her key and opened the door. Charlie walked out, blood on her clothes though Miles could tell it wasn't from her. She stopped abruptly when she saw her uncle.

Miles glared at them, "Give me the key." He saw them glance at each other and clenched his teeth, "Give me the damn key right now!" he shouted.

Rachel flinched and held it out to him. Miles took it, pocketing it before he turned to the open storeroom door. A pained whimper from inside caught his attention and he went in. He felt sick as he took in the scene before him.

There was blood all over the floor and a bat tossed against one of the walls. In the corner lay Bass, curled in on himself and holding his side. Well, holding his side as much as he could with his wrists bound in zip ties. His face was covered in blood and bruises and Miles would bet there was more underneath his clothes. He quickly went to him, dropping down beside him and noting the blood leaking from his first shoulder wound. But when Bass opened his eyes and saw Miles, he flinched away, fear radiating from him.

Miles was confused and worried, "It's just me, Pal. Let me get a look at you..." But as soon as he touched Bass, Bass jolted away again.

"N-no...leave me alone..." he whimpered, eyes open but bleary from pain. He couldn't keep this up, it hurt too bad and his will to live ended when Miles had put him here to be beaten by his family. Just before unconsciousness overtook him, he whispered, "Thought...we were...b-brothers."

Miles heart broke at those words. He had no idea what happened but he had every intention of finding out as soon as he knew Bass would survive. "We are brothers, Bass," he tried to say but Bass was already out. Miles took out his knife, cut off the ties from his wrists and ankles, then quickly picked him up, shoving past Rachel and Charlie without a word. He hurried into the main room where him and James had set up all the cots, gently placing Bass down on one. He walked over to a shelf and grabbed the first aid kit before kneeling next to the cot. He turned his head to glare at Rachel and Charlie, who were hovering near the entry, "What am I looking at for injuries?"

They were silent but then Rachel spoke up, "Nothing below his waist." Charlie nodded in agreement but added, "...We weren't trying to kill him, you know. But he has to be punished for what he's done."

Miles clenched his teeth but stayed silent, resolving to deal with them later. Right now, his best friend needed him. Gently working off Bass's shirt, Miles saw why he'd been clutching his side. His whole abdomen was covered in bruises but there was a depression where one of his ribs should have been. Miles grimaced, they needed a real doctor for a broken rib, otherwise it could puncture an organ and cause internal bleeding. Making up his mind, Miles stood up and walked over to the two women. He grabbed Rachel and before she could comprehend what was happening, he had her wrist in a handcuff as he locked the other end to one of the metal shelves. Then he turned to Charlie, handing her the key as he stated, "You're going to go find Dr. Evans and bring him down here as quickly as possible. If you don't or you mention to _anyone_ who Bass is, I will kill your mom."

Charlie looked at him in disbelief, "You wouldn't hurt our family!"

Miles stared squarely back at her, "She isn't my family. You two screwed with my family when you took Bass. Now go." He turned and walked back over to Bass's cot, pulling up another to sit on. He sat on the other side of Bass this time so he could keep an eye on the door and Rachel. Since she didn't seem to be causing any trouble and Charlie had left, Miles focused almost solely on Bass who still hadn't woken up again.

Rachel watched quietly as Miles gently ran his hand through Monroe's hair, resting it on his head as he spoke softly to his unconscious friend. She frowned, she'd never seen Miles so concerned about anyone before. Watching him, she started to feel guilty. She was no better than Monroe. In fact, she was probably worse because she brought her daughter into this mess. Miles' voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"What did you tell him?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his best friend.

Rachel didn't even try to play dumb. Miles deserved the truth. "We told him..._I _told him you ordered this. That this was your plan from the start."

"He never knew I went to get supplies. When I didn't show up, he believed you," Miles stated, almost to himself.

Rachel nodded, "I'm...I'm sorry, Miles. We shouldn't have done this." She knew it was a poor apology but she had to try.

Miles snorted but didn't reply. He resumed running his hand through Bass's hair and was rewarded when Bass opened his eyes. Miles pulled his hand back and sat quietly as his friend looked around in confusion until his eyes landed on Miles. The confusion turned to a mixture of betrayal and fear. Miles quickly spoke up, "Bass, I need you to listen to me. I had no idea, alright? I was gone, I had no idea..."

Bass still just stared at him, his brain felt hazy and although he was hearing the words, they weren't making any sense. He was so confused though. He felt like he should be relieved because Miles was here and he would protect Bass but at the same time something was telling him that Miles was the one that caused him this pain. "Miles..." he started, not really knowing what to say. He struggled to sit up but sucked in a breath at the white hot flash of pain from his rib.

Miles reached out, laying a hand on his shoulder and pressing lightly, not enough to hurt but enough to make sure Bass stayed where he was. He glared up at Rachel, "Tell him. Now."

Completely disoriented, Bass turned his head to see who Miles was talking to, freezing when he saw Rachel at the door. For a moment, pure panic overtook him as he thought more beatings were coming, until Miles' firm but calm voice filtered in, "...handcuffed. She can't get over here."

Forcing himself to calm down, Bass took a closer look and saw that Rachel was indeed handcuffed to a shelf. He turned wide eyes on Miles, "What...? Did you do that? Why?" He was startled by Rachel speaking.

"Monroe..." she said, waiting until he looked at her again, "Miles didn't do this. We planned this ourselves and sent him out of town. He had no idea." Rachel still hated the man but she couldn't deny that she herself had betrayed Miles.

Bass stared at her, still confused as hell about everything. He shook his head but grimaced at the sharp pain that erupted behind his eyes. Waiting for his vision to clear, he quietly contemplated everything until he thought he had it pretty much straightened out. He glanced at Miles again. "Thought you said you'd keep them from killing me," he said with a smirk.

Miles let out a huff of disbelieving laughter at how Bass had apparently already forgiven him. But he shouldn't be surprised, really. Bass had always had 100% trust in Miles since they were kids. That trust never wavered once in all the years they'd been together. He replied sarcastically, "Well, it's been so long that I forgot how difficult it is to keep you out of trouble." Miles let Bass know he wasn't serious with a gentle squeeze of his uninjured shoulder.

Bass laughed but before he could reply, Dr. Evans rushed into the room, Charlie lagging behind. He took in the situation in one glance, seemingly ignored Rachel, and dropped his supplies next to Bass, getting to work. An hour later, Bass was bandaged and sitting upright on the cot; bruises and cuts littered his visible body but he refused the pain meds, wanting to keep a clear head.

Miles had managed to convince Dr. Evans to keep the whole thing quiet on the circumstance that if the town is ever invaded, Doc's family will be the first ones put in the safe rooms. After he left, Miles walked over and released Rachel from the handcuffs. He walked back over to Bass, helping him to his feet and steering him slowly towards the door with an arm over his shoulders.

Rachel couldn't stand the silence anymore, "So what happens now?"

Charlie stayed silent but looked at her uncle with curiosity.

Miles met her gaze head on, "Now, I'm taking Bass back to the house. But before you get any ideas, I'll be there _the whole time_." He paused as the two women nodded and then said, "As soon as he's strong enough, we're leaving."

Charlie's mouth dropped open and Rachel's eyes widened as she said, "Seriously? There's nowhere to go!"

Miles and Bass resumed their slow walk out but Miles replied, "You're talking to the guys that started their own country." He heard Bass snicker and allowed himself to smirk, "We'll be fine."


End file.
